Taiwan's President Ma Ying-jeou said he might consider inviting Chinese leaders to visit the island but the timing is not right now despite warming ties.

"From a long-term perspective we probably can't rule out the possibility but at present the timing is not mature," Ma was quoted in a statement issued by his office late Thursday.

Ma made the comments in an interview with the Hong Kong-based weekly Yazhou Zhoukan on Thursday when China's ruling Communist Party's five-yearly congress was in session.

He said one of the obstacles to exchanging visits was that China would be unlikely to refer to visiting Taiwanese officials by their proper titles, reflecting the fact that Beijing does not recognise the Taipei government.

"This looks like a small thing but the two sides have to find an appropriate solution because of the important concept that lies behind it," he said.

The title issue has long been a sensitive topic for the self-ruled island and its giant neighbour, which split in 1949 at the end of a civil war.

Beijing still claims sovereignty over the island and has never ruled out war to bring about reunification.

"Wherever I go I am the president of Taiwan. I can't change my identity in order to go to China. The Taiwanese people will never accept it. They will see it as belittling," he said.

He added that the two sides were not ready to sign a peace agreement as proposed by Chinese President Hu Jintao again on Thursday.

"It is not a priority ... Many Taiwanese people support interactions between the two sides but they don't want to move too fast," Ma said. "Peace remains our goal but whether we need such a format is up for discussions."

Ties with China have improved markedly since Ma took office four years ago on a Beijing-friendly platform. He was re-elected this year for a second and final four-year term.